Les cœurs les plus farouches

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

77086

Title

Les cœurs les plus farouches

Language

fr

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Set in the desolate Arctic, this novel follows Sergeant William Mac Veigh, a lawman haunted by the murder of Scottie Deane. Haunted by isolation and fever, he journeys north to find the fugitive's wife and child. A tale of extreme loneliness, moral conflict, and enduring love, it explores the harsh cost of justice in the wild frontier.

Summary up to 500 words

In James Oliver Curwood's *Les cœurs les plus farouches*, the narrative follows Sergeant William Mac Veigh, a lawman stationed in the unforgiving Arctic, who concludes his report on the manhunt for Scottie Deane, a murderer who has fled into the wilderness. His partner, Pelletier, is suffering from the crushing madness of isolation, longing for human connection and warmth. Mac Veigh departs for Fort Churchill, traveling hundreds of miles across ice and barren lands, fearing for Pelletier's sanity. Upon arrival, he learns of a white woman and child spotted near an Inuit camp. Suspecting it might be Scottie's wife, Isabelle, and her daughter, Mac Veigh ventures north despite the danger. He finds Isabelle in a feverish delirium, accusing him and the law of killing her husband. She believes the law is an unstoppable force of death. Mac Veigh takes the child to the safety of a trapper's cabin, leaving Isabelle behind in her grief and madness. He then travels to Montreal, hoping to find Isabelle's family if she has died or been adopted. His journey is arduous, marked by physical exhaustion and emotional turmoil. Eventually, he finds Isabelle alive in Montreal, raising the child alone. Overcome by the realization that she is still alive and waiting, he rushes to her. In a poignant reunion, Isabelle explains her delirium was born of grief and fear, not malice. She reveals she and the child have waited for him. The novel concludes with their emotional reconciliation, highlighting the power of love to overcome the cold, indifferent forces of nature and the rigid, often cruel, application of the law.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Adventure
• Fiction